Red John Theories
by LouiseKurylo
Summary: Why was the FBI tracking Jane? Did Jane's connection to Red John start with his TV appearance...or go back 30 years to his carnival days? Jane needs Lisbon's ideas and help in sorting through some painful, new possibilities.
1. Chapter 1- A Troubling Secret

**Red John Theories**

**Who:** Jane, Lisbon, Minelli, Walters

**What:** Minelli's information leads Jane to consider painful theories about Red John'

**When:** Around the time of "Red John's Rules"

**Where:** Minelli townhouse; CBI

**Why:** Jane needs Lisbon's help in facing some painful new possibilities in figuring out Red John

**Disclaimer:** The author owns nothing related to The Mentalist TV series, characters, plots, etc.

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**Why was the FBI tracking Jane? Did Jane's connection to Red John start with his TV appearance...or go back 30 years to his carnival days? Jane needs Lisbon's ideas and help in sorting through some painful, new possibilities.**

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**Chapter 1: A Troubling Secret  
**

Virgil Minelli greeted them at the door of his townhouse. "Teresa, come in, come in," Minelli said welcoming her with a kiss on the cheek.

Lisbon smiled, and kissed his cheek in return. "Virgil." She was fond of Minelli and didn't mind the social familiarities with him.

Minelli grinned. "Much nicer than the formalities at CBI. A definite perq of retirement." Minelli turned to Jane and shook his hand. "Patrick. Welcome."

May Walters stepped out of the kitchen, drying her hands. She tossed the towel over the back of the sofa. Walters shook hands with Jane and then Lisbon.

"Patrick, you and May already know each other. Teresa, May Walters. May, Teresa Lisbon, We're glad you could join us for dinner."

Jane handed Minelli a chilled bottle of wine. "Perhaps this will add to the evening."

~.~.~.~

Over dinner Minelli and Walters announced their engagement, telling Jane and Lisbon they were the first to know. Minelli thanked Jane for introducing them over a year ago. After dinner, Jane and Walters talked while she put food away in the kitchen.

"Patrick, Virgil told me a bit about how you came to CBI. How have you been?"

"Good. The CBI work is worthwhile and advances my...other interests."

Glancing at Minelli out on the balcony, "Speaking from recent experience, the right relationship can do wonders for one's life."

"Of course. Glad you two hit it off."

"I like Teresa a lot. You seem good together."

Jane swallowed, "We enjoy working together." Walters raised her eyebrows in polite skepticism. Jane cleared his throat and added, "I guess I meddled a bit so turnabout is fair play. Yes, I appreciate Teresa more than just professionally. Something could come of it."

"I was thinking of it as returning the favor," Walters smiled. "In my work I constantly see people who could get much more out of life if they would only let themselves. Life is about more than duty and grim determination."

"I'd like that...eventually."

Jane then asked Walters about her work in addiction rehab. She described new outreach programs she had initiated and discussed the success rates of various treatment approaches. In turn, Jane amused her with some lighter stories about CBI.

~.~.~.~

While Jane and Walters talked, Lisbon and Minelli relaxed on the balcony and caught up on CBI news.

"I hear your unit has a fantastic track record, even better than when I was with CBI. A rising star. Gale says you've become a force to be reckoned with at the poker table, too."

"Thank you," she smiled. "I hear you're teaching recruits at the academies. They're lucky to have you. But I still miss you at CBI."

"Nice of you to say. -And how goes it with Patrick?"

"Jane's calmed down a lot. Our team is working really well together. And there's much less friction with CBI."

"Don't tell me he's following the rules now?"

"He's less blatant about breaking them...most of the time."

"He does seem more settled, somehow. But that wasn't all I was asking."

"Oh?"

"Come on, Teresa. I know you both too well. _And_ I have your best interests at heart." Lisbon had been recruited by Minelli shortly after he became director of CBI and was something of his protege. And Minelli had hired Jane as a consultant as well after Lisbon's gamble of involving Jane in the Dellinger case paid off with two high-profile arrests. "How's _Teresa_ doing with Patrick?"

Lisbon sipped her wine, giving herself time to frame an answer. "Virgil, Jane and I spend a lot of time together at CBI–a _lot_ of time. We work as partners now. And some of our cases have been pretty intense."

"So, are you heading toward a personal relationship?"

"The short answer is 'yes.' The details hinge on resolving Red John."

"Red John. Jane killed Timothy Carter who was thought to be Red John. I take it he wasn't Red John after all..."

"Carter claimed to be Red John. Jane believed him and acted accordingly. Carter turned out to be a Red John disciple and a monster in his own right. I sleep well at night, Virgil."

"I'll trust in your judgment and integrity, then. You've been with CBI–what?–ten years? Nine of them with Patrick in the picture? That's a long time."

"Jane worked undercover for six months, completely cut off from CBI–"

"-In Vegas, right? I heard about that."

"Those six months clarified things. They showed me I've already made my choice."

Minelli shrugged. "I'd be the first to admit Patrick is a fascinating guy. I just hope he gets there sooner rather than later. He feels the same way toward you?"

"Yes."

"Good," Minelli nodded, pleased at her certainty. He paused and sipped his wine, looking out over the city. "It's pleasant _not_ to be caught up in the politics and problems. But, tell me about that Vegas operation. –It was about a year ago, right? If half of what I heard is true, it sounds like a major scandal."

Lisbon turned to face Minelli squarely. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes. I'm asking for a reason–not just idle curiosity."

"On the anniversary of his family's murder, Red John sent a little girl to ask Jane if he gave up yet. From that, Jane realized he could use himself as bait to try to trap Red John–"

"–He did this on his own? It wasn't approved by CBI ahead of time?"

"On his own. He very publicly burned bridges with the CBI and faked a breakdown to lure Red John. Six months after Jane went to Vegas, Red John took the bait and tried to recruit him."

"If I'm not mistaken, Jane faked killing you and Rigsby as part of that operation. I was away at the time. Fortunately, the truth was out by the time I got back. Where does the FBI come in?"

"The FBI suspected Jane of being a friend of Red John."

"How the hell did the Feebs reach that conclusion?! Jane's been openly hunting Red John for years."

"The FBI arrested my unit in the middle of the operation, when Jane was meeting with Red John."

"Good god!"

"Someone in the FBI tipped off Red John so we didn't get him. But we did get his mistress, Lorelei Martins. Unfortunately, Red John had abducted my boss, Luther Wainwright. Wainwright was killed when the FBI stopped Red John's limo. He was probably killed by FBI fire."

"Damn. 'Major scandal' is an understatement."

"Gale Bertram and Alexa Shultz arranged a cover-up."

"What happened to the mistress? Why didn't she get you Red John?"

Lisbon sighed. "Another fracture between the CBI and FBI. The FBI illegally diverted her to a Federal maximum security prison."

"–Martins, Martins... She escaped and kidnapped Patrick?"

"Yes. We quickly rescued Jane, but Martins was at large for months, She killed two people who were connected to Red John. Red John eventually killed her. We never learned his identity."

"And I suppose Patrick was up to his ears in all this, somehow."

"He was involved. You _don't_ want to know."

Minelli sighed, thinking about how much Lisbon _hadn't_ said. "I don't know if this matters, but I keep thinking I should mention it. It's odd enough to stand out even after all this time."

"What, Virgil?"

"Jane came to the CBI nine years ago to find out about the Red John case. After–what was his name?- Hannigan assaulted Jane, I gave him access to the files. Now that I know Patrick, I'd guess he deliberately set up Hannigan. No matter. Patrick solved the Dellinger case and I hired him as a consultant. Pretty ad hoc, wouldn't you say?"

"Sure. So, what's odd?"

"That night, I got a call from Alexa Shultz. She requested inter-agency cooperation-to keep the FBI informed about our progress on Red John."

"So?"

"She knew we'd hired Patrick Jane as a consultant. She palmed it off as just knowing about someone associated with the Red John case. I thought it was strange at the time."

"It _is_ strange." Lisbon looked closely at him. "There's more?"

Minelli rubbed his cheek, undecided on how to broach the rest. "Uh, you know Jane was off the radar for part of the year before he came to CBI?"

"Yes."

"Know why?"

Lisbon shifted uneasily, unwilling to violate a confidence with Jane. "Yes, but I'm not comfortable discussing it."

"No need. Sounds like we both know already. What's really strange is that Alexa told me about it and implied Patrick would be a problem because of it. She wished me luck."

Lisbon frowned and turned to face him. "Virgil, that is creepy and disturbing."

"Yes it is. Especially after you tell me the Feebs leaked your plan to get Red John and then ruined your operation. Why would they be tracking Jane _nine years ago_? He was a private citizen grieving for his murdered family. I don't know what's going on, but I don't have a good feeling about it."

"Virgil, thank you. I'd like to tell Jane about this."

"I want you to. A while back I told Patrick he was in danger of becoming a paranoid conspiracy freak. Maybe I should be _more_ paranoid. I'm sorry I didn't mention it sooner."

The visit ended early-evening because Walters had group sessions the next morning for people who needed to meet before work. Minelli and Walters promised invitations to their wedding as Lisbon and Jane left.


	2. Chapter 2 - A Jumble of Coincidences

**Chapter 2: A Jumble of Coincidences**

Lisbon and Jane drove toward the section of Sacramento where her townhouse and his apartment were located. Upset by her conversation with Minelli, Lisbon decided to talk with Jane that night.

"Jane, if you're not too tired, how about we stop at Panera for dessert?"

"We had dessert with Virgil and May. I sense ulterior motives."

"You sense right. How about it? I should warn you, it's not light conversation I'm after."

He glanced at her and noted her unease. He smiled, "An excuse for a muffin? Sure."

They stopped at the restaurant, got food and beverages, and chose a comfortable, secluded booth. It was late Sunday night and the restaurant was nearly deserted.

"What's up?"

"A couple of things keep pinging around in my head. I can't shake the feeling they're important."

"Go with your gut. Gavin de Becker recommends always paying attention to intuition, _especially_ when you can't pin it down rationally."

"Forget de Becker. I'll go with Patrick Jane who says the same thing."

"What's bothering you?"

"Bear with me. This isn't crisp. It's a jumble of stuff that seems connected."

"Okay."

"Jane, tell me about the time you spent with the Carson Springs Child Protective Services."

"Why?"

"It makes me queasy that Red John murdered Eileen Barlow Turner, someone you knew when you were a kid. Someone who was currently being advised by Child Protective Services. The very same Child Protective Services that had custody of you as a child. The agency under the direction of Gottleib, a long-time friend of Red John. All these links to you make me suspicious and uneasy."

"Agreed." Jane leaned back on the couch, sipped his tea and took a bite of muffin. Knowing Lisbon wasn't asking out of mere curiosity, he was willing to talk about it. "Child Protective Services got involved after my mom died when I was ten. My father wasn't the greatest parent. When I skipped too much school, Child Services took custody and put me in foster care."

"How long?"

"Six months the first time. A few months on several other occasions when I was older–11, 12, 13."

"What did they do about school?"

"I had to go regularly. They also did a lot of testing. That was the start of a long, unwelcome relationship with Child Services and the school district."

"What kind of testing?"

"It's been 30 years... Umm, mostly content. The basic subjects by grade level. I was way ahead because of all the reading I did."

"Any other tests?"

He brightened at the memory. "Yeah. I think they threw in a couple of IQ tests. I remember a few were hard enough to be fun." He looked searchingly at Lisbon. "You're not just asking. What are you thinking?"

She ducked his question. "You said it was a long, contentious relationship. What happened?"

"Okay, I'll keep playing," accepting that she wasn't ready to explain. "My father kept me out of school to work the winter vacation spots in the South. It was resolved by transferring my custody to Samantha and Pete. That's how I finally stayed out of foster care for good. _And_ we had to agree to mid-term and year-end testing. If I passed, they overlooked the sketchy attendance and left us alone."

"How did that go?"

"I read the textbooks on my own. Passing the tests was no big deal." He smiled at the memory. "I didn't like the system and did my best to mess with them. I'd barely pass one time, then ace the tests the next. It got to the point where they put me in a bare room with my very own proctor to be sure I wasn't cheating. They would have strip-searched me if they could have gotten away with it."

"You know, that just gave them a reason to make _your_ life difficult. It also made you stand out."

He shrugged. "I was a kid. Of course I was immature. Initially I hated school because it was boring. Fortunately, my mom introduced me to libraries. Reading during class made it bearable and kept me out of trouble. That carried over to the carny circuit. I'd get a library card everywhere we stopped, take out a bunch of books, read them in a week or so and mail them back. Media mail was great."

"Did you ever figure out how Red John knew about your memory of Leelee Barlow?"

"No. You think there's a connection?"

Lisbon sighed and leaned back. "Jane, I admit this is all speculation. But someone I respect recommends keeping an open mind until a case is closed."

"Can't disagree with that," he smiled at her oblique reference. "So what's the speculation?"

"Miranda Roman and other women in the battered women's shelter were a vulnerable population. Some were taken advantage of-raped and murdered. There are other vulnerable populations. For instance, kids from bad backgrounds who are under the care of government agencies."

"I wasn't in foster care for long. I was never abused."

"Would you even know?" She hurried to add, "I don't necessarily mean physical abuse."

"What then?"

"Remember Talman Bunting, the puzzle shop guy who collects geniuses for national security consulting? He used himself as a measuring stick. He said the metal puzzle you toyed with in his store was tricky. The only thing you found puzzling was that it was so easy. You won your chess game in a way that surprised him. And you kept him from getting a functional universal hacking machine by solving the murder. You're not interested in math, but you play at that level. You're clearly off the scale for standard IQ tests."

"Your point?"

"Bunting had all kinds of pull from his national security and intelligence work. They certainly value people as smart as you are. How badly would the CIA or a sister agency want to identify people like you? Especially young kids who could be recruited and diverted to their purposes?"

Jane shook his head. "You're casting a pretty big net. I'm not sure anything hangs together." She could tell he was intrigued nonetheless.

"Are you sure you never told anyone your Leelee Barlow memory?"

"I've thought about that since she was murdered. Pretty sure."

"Jane, _think_. If you didn't tell anyone and you rule out 'real' psychics, 'real' mind-readers, how could Red John find out?"

"I'm not about to start believing in 'real' psychics."

"What if you were hypnotized or drugged? Child Protective Services would have had that kind of access when you were a child in foster care. Or, maybe, Sophie Miller or someone else learned about that memory when you were treated in the asylum? We can't take Child Services at face value. Gottleib was with the agency a long time and she was a Red John friend a long time. Coincidence on top of coincidence." Absent good reason to the contrary, Lisbon knew Jane rejected coincidence out‑of‑hand.

"It would be possible to get at my memories that way. If they did when I was a kid, there doesn't seem to have been any follow-up. It's also a little thin to think there's a program that goes back 30 years. There's no information suggesting anything underhanded happened in the asylum ten years ago. For what it's worth, I don't recall anything happening in foster care or the asylum. Interesting conjecture, though."

"Jane, let's leave that for now. Virgil had some interesting information. He asked about the Vegas operation and the problems between the CBI and FBI. I gave him a quick overview. When you first came to the CBI, Virgil hired you after you solved the Dellinger case. He also gave you access to the Red John files."

"So?"

"Here's what's new. The day you were hired, Alexa Shultz called Virgil that evening. She knew the CBI had hired you. She claimed to know because you were associated with Red John, a case of interest to the FBI. She asked to be kept abreast of CBI's work on the case."

Jane frowned. "Knowing CBI hired me is odd."

"One more thing. She asked if Virgil knew why you'd been off the radar during the previous year. _She told him_ you'd been in an insane asylum and wished him luck."

Jane straightened, suddenly tense and uneasy. "Why would the FBI track me, why would it care? How could it know about the asylum? Other than Sophie, no one knew I planned to hunt down Red John and kill him. Even if the FBI knew, why would anyone take me seriously? I didn't have credentials or a track record back then."

"I can't believe the FBI tracks all the relatives of Red John's victims. And if it doesn't track everyone, why you? Anyhow, set that aside, too. Here's something else that keeps bothering me–and you, too, if I remember. Why the hell is Homeland Security interested in a local–or at most, regional–serial killer? I keep asking Kirkland and never get an answer."

"He _is_ one of my seven Red John suspects," Jane said quietly.

"Jane, we've made a fundamental assumption that may–or may _not_–be justified. We keep assuming Red John is an individual psychopath. Even if he has a network of friends, we think of him as one person. What if Red John isn't a private party but part of an organization?"

"Go on."

"What if Red John is–or was-with the CIA or some similar agency? He could have a loyal following in the agency. Maybe another agency faction is fighting him. Since the 9‑11 attack, all the Federal intelligence agencies are under Homeland Security. We had that kind of inter-agency fighting between the CBI and FBI after the FBI botched our Red John operation."

"I've thought along those lines myself, Lisbon. There isn't enough evidence to go anywhere with the idea, though."

"Not so far although Minelli's information about Shultz is consistent. It would explain a lot if it were true. Red John has wide access at high levels. He seems to have unlimited resources. And I keep wondering why Bertram is so willing to work with Homeland Security, trusting them over his own CBI agents. We would have kept Jason Lennon except for Bertram's cooperation."

"Again, that assumes Bertram isn't Red John. –I'm bothered by how a psychopath commands such absolute loyalty. Several Red John disciples have willingly died for him. That kind of devotion is more typical of religious zealots or military and intelligence agents. Red John attracts recruits by giving them something they want but, even so, dying for him is a big leap. And how does he attract normal people when he kills innocent women with such a heinous m.o.?"

"Maybe none are normal. Gottleib seemed normal, but she helped kill Eileen to steal the baby. Jason Lennon seemed normal when we interviewed him as a shelter trustee. He turned out to be a monster. Ditto, Timothy and Sally Carter. Dumar was clearly unbalanced. I don't know about Gupta and the others."

Jane took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't know what to make of this, but it's certainly worth thinking about. The Minelli stuff puts it beyond idle speculation." He looked at Lisbon with new appreciation. "You surprise me, Teresa. Usually you try to curb my wild conjectures. Good thinking outside the box."

"Jane, I'm concerned. Nothing about Red John is a 'normal' homicide case. I believe in following the evidence, wherever it leads. Especially now that Red John's declared open warfare."

"Let me mull this over, see if there are any links to my past. Let's keep these ideas in mind."

She dropped Jane off on her way home. Although worried about the implications, she was pleased by Jane's reaction. It wasn't often anyone offered something he hadn't already considered.


	3. Chapter 3 - Red John From Jane's Past?

**Chapter 3: Red John From Jane's Past?**

A week later Lisbon was surprised to find Jane sitting on her couch when she stepped into her office on Monday morning. She was about to greet him then paused, realizing he was sound asleep. She quietly set down her briefcase and some files, turned and considered Jane. He looked drawn, as though he hadn't slept. He was sitting with legs crossed at the knee and arms loosely crossed and resting on his lap. She frowned. In nine years of working with Jane, she noticed that position most often when he felt vulnerable, threatened. _Something is going on._ She glanced at her watch and knew she would be late for her standing meeting with Bertram if she didn't leave immediately. She decided to talk with Jane after the meeting.

Returning a half-hour later, Lisbon gently squeezed his shoulder. Quietly, "Jane, wake up."

He started and blinked, "Oh, hi, Lisbon. Good morning."

"What's up?"

"If you have time, I'd like to grab you for a long lunch. I want to run something by you about what we discussed after Minelli's dinner."

"Sure, let's go at 11. –Jane, did you sleep last night?"

He sighed. "Some. See you later." He got up and left her office.

~.~.~.~

It was nice weather. They got food and drinks from a taco truck and walked to the nearby park. Jane chose an isolated picnic table.

"What's on your mind?" Lisbon opened the conversation, then took a bite of her food.

Jane didn't answer immediately. A variety of emotions flickered across his face. He finally began. "Teresa, I've thought about our conversation after the Minelli dinner. I'm forced to consider ideas I've never seriously entertained before."

"Nothing wrong with that."

He looked away and swallowed uncomfortably. "There could be. Some put me at the center of the Red John case. They would explain a lot, but I'm flirting with paranoia. Others make the case more complicated–not exactly an improvement."

"Jane, walk me through your thinking. Forget about the labels and focus on how well the ideas fit the evidence."

She was surprised and alarmed by the naked relief that crossed his face. "The first thing that occurred to me was whether the time line should be flipped. I assumed my Red John connection began with my stupid, arrogant–"

"–Jane, stop it," she said quietly but firmly, refusing to let him feed his guilt about the murders.

He rephrased as a concession to her. "–began with my TV comments. What if Red John didn't learn of my LeeLee Barlow memory from my records when Sophie treated me? I've been tying myself in knots trying to connect Red John with Leelee Barlow from my past, 30 years ago. What if it _started_ 30 years ago, somehow connected to the carnival?"

"That's a different take. How would that work?"

"Pete's comments during the Eileen Turner murder case made me think. Pete doesn't have much formal education, but he's smart, shrewd and a good judge of character."

"Jane, I'm not an education snob. If I ever needed convincing, I just need to compare you and Wainwright."

"Okay. You asked whether I could have been drugged or hypnotized into revealing the Leelee Barlow memory. Sean Barlow was a close friend of my father for years, until I was 12 or so. Sean had access to me. He knows hypnosis. And he raised LeeLee there at the carnival. According to Pete, Sean cultivates grudges, 'swore vengeance' against Roddy. Well, Sean also swore vengeance against my father when they became enemies. A vendetta against my father and his family–me-could explain knowing about my Leelee Barlow memory, about the Carson Springs carnival layover, and about Red John."

"How so Red John?"

"There are two obvious possibilities. Sean Barlow could have foreseen I would comment on a notorious killer, who happened to be Red John. Or, Sean could have a connection to Red John."

"Spell it out for me?"

"By 12, I was on the path to becoming a psychic like my father. Psychics volunteer to help police with famous murderers for credibility and free publicity. Sean could easily predict I'd comment on whatever murderer was in the news when I was an adult. Maybe the killer would go after me and my family. If not, Sean could hire out the murder in the same style, certain it would be blamed on the infamous killer. The alternative is that Sean actually knows Red John and pursued his vengeance through him."

Lisbon grimaced. "Wow. I see what you mean. But isn't it far-fetched to believe Sean would pursue vengeance for decades?"

Jane cleared his throat. "Hello, it's ten years and counting that I've been seeking revenge. If Pete is right about Sean, it would be in character. There's more. Sean had it in for Roddy. Pete thinks Sean was capable of killing Eileen. What if Sean did kill Eileen–personally or through Red John? Sean could have a connection to Carson Springs Child Protective Services, to Miriam Gottleib. Get Child Services to separate Roddy and Eileen. Kill Eileen through Red John or in the Red John style. Then frame Roddy for the murder. Who gets custody of Kaitlin, then?"

Lisbon responded, "As Kaitlin's nearest living relative, Sean would have a claim. Pete could have a claim as Roddy's uncle, but Sean might prevail since he raised Eileen. Of course, if Roddy were convicted, that would favor awarding custody to Sean."

"So he achieves two goals–vengeance against Roddy, and, custody of Kaitlin."

"What's Sean Barlow's background? How could he be connected to Red John?"

"My father and Sean stopped talking openly around me when I was about 12. But I recall Sean had connections to the IRA. The IRA disbanded, but the criminal network that helped fund the IRA continues. Sean was involved in the past and maybe still is. That network could help him do a lot of what Red John does–commit murder, arrange favors for friends, create false identities, and run criminal operations for money. A larger 'cause' might explain the absolute loyalty Red John's disciples have, too. Maybe 'Red John' is a label for a terrorist network–bringing us full circle to the organization idea. And why did Red John need Orville Tanner for the murder 12 years ago? Did they have crime in common, too? You know, we've assumed Red John's murders are all psychopathic killings. What if some were done for other reasons and are just disguised by using the same m.o.?"

"That's a nasty thought."

Jane remembered his lunch and took another bite of food. "Isn't it, though? Anyhow, Sean certainly has a hand in crime. An IRA connection would give him the organization for Red John‑type activities. And he would come in contact with people he could co-opt-Rebecca Anderson, Jared Renfrew, and Lorelei Martins, for instance. He'd know people connected to law enforcement who he could turn, such as Dumar, O'Laughlin–Irish, I might note,–and Todd Johnson. It strengthens the likelihood of contact early on with Red John, too."

"Intense. Judging by our meeting, Sean Barlow has the brains and charisma for that sort of criminal role."

Jane nodded. "Yes, he does. If I assume Sean is involved with the IRA and Red John, that explains the Eileen Barlow Turner puzzle and an organization for Red John operations without having to assume a major compromise of the FBI or Homeland Security. It's also a better explanation of why they would suspect me of being a Red John friend."

"Jane, what else? You look like there's more on your mind."

He didn't answer immediately. He rubbed his face with his hands. She could see how tired he was and that it was more than just lack of sleep.

"Teresa, the idea that Red John has a personal connection to me going back decades opens up Pandora's Box. You've chided me for assuming the world revolves around me. If I go down this path, it gets very tangled very fast."

"What are you thinking?"

"What do I really know about my past? Am I sure who my parents were? My father was always an enigma. He was devoted to my mother but had no interest in me after she died. Why? Was I even his son? If not, was there a Red John connection through my mother? Was she–" he swallowed, "-was she seduced or raped by Red John? That would put him around 20 years older than me. If I forget about Sean Barlow, of my list of seven suspects, Stiles is old enough to be my father. And Stiles has made some strangely personal comments. I don't know if that's manipulation or something substantive." He spread his hands, palms up. "I have no idea of where to start or how to rule out anything."

Lisbon was openly concerned. "Jane, the Red John case is more complicated than we ever imagined at the start. But you're torturing yourself with this." She said carefully, "I guess you can't refuse to consider possibilities involving your own personal history. However, you need solid evidence before going down that path. You can't assume that sort of Red John connection without a great deal more to go on. If you think it's _really_ a possibility, we could try to get a DNA sample and see."

"There's something else."

"Yes?"

"It's unsettling if someone used hypnosis or drugs against me." He looked away a moment before continuing. "If I can't count on knowing my own mind and memories, I have no solid ground. I don't know if there are post-hypnotic suggestions. I don't know what to trust anymore."

"Trust me. We'll work through whatever we have to."

He shook his head. "I'm afraid of what I might do. I could be sabotaging myself. I could be dangerous to you or the team."

"Jane, look at me," she said, putting her hand on his arm. _"You've_ said hypnosis can't make a person do something against his nature. I'm confident you can't be a danger to me or the team. And sabotaging your efforts to get Red John isn't consistent with your commitment to your family."

He relaxed a little.

"Jane, is there any way to help you be sure, anyone you could go to?"

"I'm not sure who I could trust. Let me think about it."

"Jane, whatever it is, we'll work through it till we solve the case."

He sagged under the weight of uncertainty. "I guess I need to keep an open mind till evidence clarifies the picture. Thanks for being a sounding board. And for not dismissing this out of hand even though it sounds bizarre."


	4. Chapter 4 - Sometimes Bigger Is Simpler

**Chapter 4: Sometimes Bigger Is Simpler  
**

Several days later, Jane was waiting in her office when Lisbon returned from a late-afternoon meeting.

"Something new on our case?"

"No. More thinking about Red John."

She looked closely at him and was relieved he appeared more at-ease than the last time they talked about Red John. "Talk here? Over dinner?"

"I am kinda hungry. Dinner?"

Lisbon and Jane settled into a booth at O'Malley's. The booth's high sides afforded enough privacy for them to talk despite O'Malley's popularity with the CBI crowd. Their conversation began in earnest after their meal was served.

"What's new?"

"Well," Jane said between bites, "My friend Occam's Razor is proving useful once again."

"You mean the simplest explanation that accommodates all the facts is likeliest to be correct?"

"Yeah. Perversely, making the puzzle bigger, makes it simpler. I've been looking at Red John as the center of the case because of my personal interest–"

"-And because Red John _is_ the case assigned to our unit."

"What if Red John is just one node of a much larger criminal or terrorist network? The shocking m.o. of the Red John murders stands out, but it might be obscuring the big picture."

"What big picture?"

"Todd Johnson was connected to Red John, but he did a series of cop killings that weren't in the Red John style. Johnson said there was a big picture that–and I quote–'would blow your mind.'"

"He's still just a serial killer. What's qualitatively different?"

"Crime. Money. International connections. Johnson was connected to Montero, who did gun running in Central and South America–maybe connected to FARC. Rebecca murdered Bosco's team to give me back the case. But their murder also undermined the major, international drug case they were working on. Coincidence? The early Red John murders connect to Visualize, which has international reach and dabbles in a variety of criminal activities. Sean Barlow is connected to the IRA which has been linked to the PLO, Libya under Quadafi, the Basque ETA and FARC in Colombia. Those connections would attract the attention of the FBI and Homeland Security. So, they are justifiably interested in Red John, because Red John is more than a local serial killer."

"We pretty much talked about this on Monday," Lisbon said, puzzled.

"Homeland Security and the FBI are interested in Red John. If Red John is only a part of a far larger investigation, how would they handle it, how would they protect the larger investigation from leaks or co-opted agents?"

"Classic investigative strategy. You break it down into several smaller investigations. Each smaller part is kept separate so that a leak doesn't jeopardize the whole investigation."

"-The same approach used by terrorists or intelligence agencies. They use independent cells in which each cell knows only as much as it needs to do its part, yes?"

"Oh, I see where you're going. Homeland and the FBI might have undermined our Red John case to protect the larger investigation. You think that's why they took Lorelei?"

"Maybe. Perhaps Jason Lennon, too. I remain convinced Kirkland had something to do with him dying before he could say anything."

"Pretty cold if agents are killing people to protect their investigation."

"If there _is_ an investigation into international criminal and terrorist networks, including the IRA network, that might be why the FBI tracked me after my family was murdered and recently suspected I was a friend of Red John."

"What?"

"I'm connected to Sean Barlow through my father years ago. If Sean is still in that game, I'm a 'person of interest.'"

"So where does all this lead?"

"It doesn't change my list of suspects or anything concrete. But it clarifies the possible motivations of some of the players. I need to be careful in how I interpret their actions, that's all."

"Oh. Simple.


End file.
